When you get enough sleep, you wake up rested and ready for your day. But that’s not the only reason to get adequate sleep. Research has found that getting too few zzz’s may be a major reason why so many of us overeat and end up overweight. When you don’t get enough sleep, it’s more difficult for your body to burn fat and sugar for energy.

Repeated lack of sleep can actually raise the stress hormone cortisol, which brings on a pre-diabetic state. Inadequate sleep also lowers your levels of leptin, the hormone that works to decrease your appetite. As leptin production is blocked, your brain receives familiar signals telling you to eat. You feel hungry and have intense cravings for sweets and starches. Too bad your body doesn’t actually need food– what it needs is a nap!

But cravings are hard to ignore. And once you give in to them, your insulin levels soar and then quickly crash. This amounts to mood swings, stress, sadness, impatience, aggravation, and, ultimately, another food binge.

Why do this to your body? Forgo the confusion by getting plenty of sleep – 7-8 hours – every night.